Leadership

Senior Vice President of Northern Light Health and President of Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center

Ava Collins, MHA, FACHE, is a senior vice president of Northern Light Health and president of Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, the system's flagship hospital. As President, Ava is responsible for the overall operational performance and mission fulfillment of Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center.

With more than 25 years of executive healthcare experience, Ava is a dynamic leader recognized for driving business results through the connection of strategy, clinical operations, talent, and culture. In addition, she has been successful in leading complex change and physician collaboration focused on high quality, patient-centered care.

Ava has been with Northern Light Health since June of 2024. Prior to joining the organization, she most recently held executive roles for Tenet Healthcare, in Framingham and Worcester. As chief executive officer of MetroWest Medical Center, a multi-site campus with acute care and behavioral health hospitals, she led the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, directed transformational initiatives, fostered innovation, and drove high impact capital projects to ensure sustainability and growth. Before this role, Ava served as group chief operating officer of MA and Mid-South Tenet hospitals, as well as Saint Vincent Hospital, leading daily hospital operations, and key specialty service lines.  

Prior to joining Tenet, Ava served in various executive roles with Ochsner Health in New Orleans. Highlights of her career at Ochsner include the opening of the Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center at the flagship Medical Center; leading the system operating cycle and strategic planning process; and navigating the planning, impact, and recovery of Hurricane Katrina, including the re-opening of Ochsner Baptist Hospital.

Ava holds a Master of Healthcare Administration from Tulane University and a Bachelor of Science from Northeast Louisiana University and is board certified as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She is also a member of the Women’s Healthcare Executive Network.

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Vice President of Provider Services for Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center

Carolyn Fetha, vice president of Provider Services for Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Husson University. She has been in a leadership position here at the medical center since 2008. Prior to that, Carolyn was a practice manager for 17 years at Northern Light Surgical Specialists. 

Carolyn serves as the administrative leader for Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center employed physician practices. She partners with physicians, practice leadership, and medical center leadership. She conducts Medical Group strategic planning; manages human, capital and material resources in support of organizational goals and objectives; manages the efficiency and effectiveness of daily administration and operations; and participates in the decision-making process through the collection and presentation of information. 

Carolyn places an emphasis on living and leading with integrity, respect, compassion, empathy, and honesty.

Carolyn is a professional member of the Medical Group Management Association and finds fulfillment by giving back to our community as a volunteer with Good Shepherd Food Bank.

Favorite quote

"I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  Maya Angelou

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Vice President of Human Resources for Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center

Noah Lundy, MBA is a Senior Human Resources executive with more than 20 years of experience in complex healthcare and higher educational organizations. As vice president of Human Resources, Noah designs and implements strategies that support the organization’s mission and leads the day-to-day management of the regional HR team. He is passionate about building collaborative relationships with staff, management team, and key stakeholders in an effort to improve overall organization performance.

Before joining Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, Noah served as Northern Light Health vice president of Human Resources East Region A. In this role, he provided strategic HR leadership to multiple hospitals/corporate office and managed HR operations, employee relations, and workforce planning. He was fundamental in shaping a high-accountability, people-first culture. Prior to joining Northern Light Health in 2015, Noah was the labor relations manager for the University of Maine System.

Outside of his professional career, Noah enjoys golf, cooking, youth sports, UMaine hockey, and family adventures.

 
Education:
 
Bachelor of Science Degree in Business with a Finance concentration, University of Maine
Master of Business Administration Degree, Husson University

 

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Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center

Deborah (Deb) Sanford, MBA, MSN, RN is the vice president and chief nursing officer for Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center.
 
As a true patient advocate as well as experienced leader, Deb works hard to integrate strategic planning, development, and standards of care to improve patient experience quality and financial outcomes. These areas of focus are all critical to successful Nursing/Patient Care Services operations. She is also a key member of the leadership team that ensures compliance with quality standards as it relates to the care provided to all patients.
 
Drawing from her years of nursing and leadership experience, Deb also defines and implements a unified nursing culture that will promote a multidisciplinary care model approach for advancing the continuity of care.
 
She is passionate about the pursuit of excellent patient care and treating patients as if they were a part of her own family, which is another top priority in her life. Deb also enjoys making a difference in her community and profession.
 
Deb contributes to her profession and community by being involved in a variety of organizations. She is a member of the Maine State Board of Nursing, a returning board member of the United Way of Eastern Maine (previous past president) and is a Rotarian and Paul Harris Society member.
 
Prior to joining Northern Light Health in 1996, Deb was a nurse leader at Strong Member Hospital, University of Rochester; an adjunct faculty member at St. John Fisher College and a Financial Analysist for Morgan Stanley & Company.
 
Education:
BSN – Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY
MBA – University of Rochester, Simon School of Business, Rochester, NY
MSN – St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY
Executive Fellow; Baldridge Executive Fellow Program
 
Deb became vice president of Nursing and Patient Care Services in January 2015.

Favorite Quote:
“Have the passion, take the action and magic will happen.”
~ Bar Refaeli
 

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Associate Vice President of Patient Safety and Quality

Libby Perry, MPH is the associate vice president of Patient Safety and Quality Improvement and is responsible for leading the development, execution, and oversight of the patient safety and quality improvement strategy at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, including patient experience and culture of safety. Libby works closely with all nursing, physician, and operational leaders to improve the care delivery to provide excellent care and compassion every day.

Libby received her Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from the University of Maine and a Masters of Public Health from the University of New England. Her early career began working in Waterville for the Healthy Maine Partnership, then moved to Boston to work in the Stem Cell Program and Pediatric Gastroenterology at Boston Childrens and Harvard Medical School. Libby joined the medical center in 2014, returning to the hospital where she was born. First in primary care quality improvement and in 2017, moving to lead quality efforts across the medical center.

Guiding principles: 
Libby is committed to a life of public service, improving our communities through excellent care delivery and experience. As a native Bangorian, this hospital represents the history of the community where she was raised and the care provider for her family in the best and most difficult of times.

Professional and community membership and leadership roles:  
EMMC Auxiliary Member
Incorporator, University of Maine Foundation
National Volunteer, Chi Omega Fraternity
 
Certifications:
Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality
Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt

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